Abstract: Semiconductor spheres are arranged within a plastic sheet, and laminated between two metal foil layers to make electrical contacts. A portion of each sphere is exposed on one side to allow light entry. The back ohmic contact has a spreading resistance which protects large array configurations from short circuits. Series interconnections of cells, for higher voltage, can be made in the same processing sequence, and are coplanar with the array. All manufacturing steps are completed at temperatures less than 400.degree. C.

Abstract: An optical fiber cable is used as the transmission medium for data and status signals from remote digital acquisition units to a master station of a distributed digital field system. Each digital acquisition unit has associated with it one or more sensors for sensing motion in an elastic body. The master station of the system also uses an optical fiber cable as the transmission medium for transmitting command signals to the digital acquisition units. The digital acquisition units, when first connected into the system, sense the master station signal and determine which direction to transmit. In normal operation, one digital acquisition unit receives the master station command and repeats the command to the next digital acquisition unit and so on.

Abstract: A system for detecting, tracking and guiding a missile to a target is disclosed. The missile has a beacon which emits infrared signals. A night sight, which has a reticled infrared receiver for sighting a target, detects the infrared signals of the missile relative to the center of the reticle and converts the infrared signals to electrical signals representative of the impinging infrared energy. The IR receiver output is connected to a computerized beacon tracking unit. The tracking unit determines when beacon signals are detected by the receiver, tracks and guides the missile to its destination by computing missile position pitch and yaw guidance signals to align the missile with the target.

Abstract: A buried n-channel junction field-effect transistor (JFET) fabricated in standard bipolar integrated circuit starting material. The transistor has a deep p-well as the bottom gate formed in an n-type body. The source is surrounded by the p-well while the drain is the epitaxial layer near the surface of the body outside the p-well. A buried channel connects the source and drain. A p-layer above the buried channel forms the top gate. Gate leakage current and noise are very low.

Abstract: A bipolar logic gate formed in an isolated N-type epitaxial layer in an integrated circuit device includes a normally operated vertical NPN switch transistor clamped by an inversely operated NPM clamp transistor. The base of the clamp transistor is formed by a high energy boron ion implant into a portion of the N-type epitaxial layer extending through the P-type base of the switch transistor. Multiple outputs are provided by Schottky barrier diodes formed on the N-type epitaxial layer.

Abstract: Current sensing circuits especially adapted for use with either capacitive touch plate or mechanical switch keys. The circuits include a transistor whose base is connected to a constant voltage source and whose emitter-collector circuit is connected between the touch plate or switch keys and an input to a comparator. A second transistor and a capacitor are interconnected with the first transistor to provide transient surge protection. The circuits distinguish between differing values of current and activate the comparator which produces a signal indicative of the existing condition.

Abstract: A heterodyne laser ranging system is disclosed which provides a waveguide housing which includes a first and second gas laser. The first laser is a low pressure laser while the second laser is a high pressure laser. These two lasers formed in the waveguide housing have their longitudinal axis in optical alignment. In the preferred embodiment, the second high pressure gas laser is a transversely excited atmospheric (TEA) laser. The first low pressure gas laser produces two outputs, one of the outputs is a low level local oscillator signal while the second output is transmitted as an input to the high pressure laser. The second high pressure laser builds up from the injected signal from the low pressure laser which results in a high pressure laser pulse output that has the frequency stability of the low pressure laser while maintaining the high peak power output available from a transversely pumped waveguide laser.

Abstract: Monolithic integration of digital logic circuitry, precision control circuitry, and high voltage interface circuits on the same semiconductor chip is achieved, using various combinations selected from D-MOS, vertical NPN, lateral NPN, PNP, P-MOS, N-MOS, and J-FET components. Cathode driver circuits for a plasma display panel are integrated with this technology. Other applications include automotive and television circuits.

Abstract: An electronic teaching apparatus which utilizes interchangeable flexible overlays with printed pictorial representations in conjunction with a programmable keyboard. An integrated circuit speech synthesizer is utilized to verbally ask an operator to select a particular pictorial representation or to verbally identify a pictorial representation selected by the operator. Upon the failure of the operator to correctly select a particular pictorial representation, the verbal request can be repeated in conjunction with a verbal description of some attribute of the desired pictorial presentation. Each of the interchangeable overlays is coded to allow control circuitry to select a proper sequence of words for a given overlay.

Abstract: A non-volatile memory storage cell utilizing a single vertical junction field-effect transistor is fabricated by a method, which is compatible with the fabrication of MOSFET interface and logic circuits on the same chip. Assembly of a multi-dielectric stack, which contains the non-volatile element, is accomplished late in the process to avoid degradation of the non-volatility characteristics.

Abstract: A single-chip microprocessor device of the MOS/LSI type contains an ALU, several internal busses, a number of address/data registers, and an instruction register with associated control decode or microcontrol generator circuitry. The device communicates with external memory and peripherals by a bidirectional multiplexed address/data bus and a number of control lines. Each instruction is executed in a sequence of microstates which are generated by selecting an entry point for the first address in a control ROM then continuing with a series of jumps and/or further entry points determined by the instruction and by the current state of the microprocessor. Improved circuitry is provided for selecting the entry point using a minimum of space on the chip by detecting the position of the leading 1 bit. Thus an instruction set can be used in which different groups of instructions have different numbers of leading zero bits.

Abstract: A thermally responsive damper for opening the flue of a gas-fired apparatus when gas firing occurs and for otherwise closing the flue to prevent unnecessary energy losses utilizes a low cost, high flexivity, thermostat metal adapted to operate in the corrosive flue environment, the thermostat metal having a high expansion layer of a corrosion-resistant austentic stainless steel which does not transform as it is worked during manufacture of the thermostat metal and a low expansion layer of an alloy of 36 percent nickel and the balance iron. The thermostat metal also has a thin layer of a stabilized, high chromium, ferritic stainless steel on the outer surface of the lower expansion layer for protecting the low expansion layer from corrosion in the flue gasses and for permitting the achievement of high flexivity in the thermostat metal while also permitting economical manufacture of the composite material.

Abstract: A non-contacting position sensor has an exciting coil disposed in a plane and has a sensing coil located in an intersecting plane so that portions of the sensing coil are disposed symmetrically around a portion of the exciting coil in mutually inductive relation to that portion of the exciting coil. Ferrite means magnetically shield those sensing coil portions from other portions of the exciting coil and housing means are provided to mount the sensor so that those coil portions are conveniently positioned for relative movement with respect to magnetically permeable or electrically conductive inductance-modifying means on an object whose position is to be monitored. Movement of the inductance-modifying means as the object moves then modifies the mutual inductance between the respective sensing coil portions and the exciting coil portion so that, when the exciting coil is driven, the sensing coil provides a signal which is accurately and reliably representative of the object position.

Abstract: A single-chip microprocessor device of the MOS/LSI type contains an ALU, several interal busses, a number of address/data registers, and an instruction register with associated control decode or microcontrol generator circuitry. The device communicates with external memory and peripherals by a bidirectional multiplexed address/data bus and a number of control lines. The control ROM is an array of rows and columns of potential MOS transistors. This ROM is compressed by eliminating column lines which contain no transistors, and eliminating column decode circuitry associated with such column lines. The number of lines which can be eliminated is increased by reducing the number of row lines (thereby lengthening the row lines) and selecting default conditions of controls (by inverting some outputs) to increase the number of vacant positions in the ROM.

Abstract: A single-chip microprocessor device of the MOS/LSI type contains an ALU, several interal busses, a number of address/data registers, and an instruction register with associated control decode or microcontrol generator circuitry. The device communicates with external memory and peripherals by a bidirectional multiplexed address/data bus and a number of control lines. A 16-bit device is shown as an example. The ALU and registers are laid out on the chip in a regular pattern with like bits in all registers and ALU aligned, and the busses are parallel metal strips overlying each of the strips of ALU/register bits. Controls are polysilicon lines perpendicular to the busses. A very dense layout results, saving space on the chip.

Abstract: A single-chip microprocessor device of the MOS/LSI type contains an ALU, several interal busses, a number of address/data registers, and an instruction register with associated control decode or microcontrol generator circuitry. The device communicates with external memory and peripherals by a bidirectional multiplexed address/data bus and a number of control lines. Each instruction word produces a sequence of microcodes which are generated by selecting an entry point for the first address of the control ROM then executing a series of jumps, depending upon the instruction. Usually operands must be fetched from memory and the result stored in memory. Operating speed is increased by fetching the next instruction and starting to generate operand addresses before the current result has been calculated and stored. The microprocessor can perform a memory access operation and an ALU operation in the same machine cycle.

Abstract: A hermetic seal is formed without expensive precious metals by fusing two members of a semiconductor package together by scanning a laser beam along adjacent edges of the members. The compositions of the members which are fused together include ceramic, glass and metal. The method enables the formation of a hermetic seal at a relatively low temperature thereby greatly reducing the thermal stress on the semiconductor chip with resulting improvement in yields.

Abstract: A fuel supply system having means for furnishing a mixture of air and alcohol or gasohol fuels to an automotive engine has a self-regulating, ceramic, electrical resistance heater for enhancing fuel evaporation during cold engine starting and incorporates a heater of improved structure to maintain stable heating properties in the alcohol-based system over a long service life.

Abstract: An optical slip ring provides optical communication between a pair of members free to rotate with respect to each other. These members may be a pair of optical fibers, an electrical conductor and an optical fiber or a pair of electrical conductors. One member is attached to a first mounting device and the other member is attached to a second mounting device. One optical receiver is positioned in the center of the first mounting device on a common axis of rotation with respect to the second mounting device. The other optical receiver is mounted on the second mounting device, positioned on the common axis of rotation. One optical emitter is mounted off center on the first mounting device and the other optical emitter is mounted off center on the second mounting device.

Abstract: A combination starting and protecting device particularly useful with split phase motors such as those used with refrigeration compressors is disclosed in which an element of material having a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) of resistivity characteristic and a thermally responsive switch are disposed in the same housing. A thermal coupling of a preselected value between the PTC element and the thermally responsive switch is provided so that a desired reset or "off" time is obtained for the thermally responsive switch without affecting the "on" time.